The Ballad of Ice and Inferno
by Vandervault
Summary: Anna and Kristoff are expecting. Elsa travels to Holoska, intending to obtain crystals meant to quell magic in their child. There, King Hadyn reigns, mysterious and brash; and he might just be more similar to Elsa than she ever imagined. Hans, exiled from the Isles, finds his place in Abaddon, where rogue Karina carves out a living. Post-movie, OCs, expansion of many concepts.


**Author's Note: **_I'm addicted to Frozen. This is but one of many post-story fics on the 'net. This is just my version. Hopefully a decent one. Reviews are appreciated greatly!_

* * *

"So, um, Elsa, hi, it's me, but, uhm, Kristoff and I have a funny story to tell you…" Anna's sheepish as she leans over the desk that Elsa's been hunched over for about three hours. Elsa can't help but frown a bit as Anna's elbows wrinkle some reference papers concerning the current state of the crops near the eastern borders of the queendom.

Elsa sighs a bit, but she's smiling wearily again as she sets aside her current documents, looking up at her ginger younger sister. "Yes, what is it?"

"Alright, well," Anna says, her heels off the edge of the floor, "let's say, hypothetically, that two months ago, Kristoff and I, err, did something, and, well, now we think that, maybe, I'm with child. I mean, this is just hypothetically, and this is a story, but, um, wouldn't it explain those chocolate-covered tomatoes I asked for a couple nights ago?"

Elsa's face blanches a bit; she's not sure whether to be elated for her sister, or worried for the sanity of the child that might be inside of her – because, well, it's Kristoff and Anna, after all. And she loves Anna, and she respects Kristoff (he's better than "the other man", a million times better, and he appreciates her ice powers...not to mention how he's incredibly sweet to Anna, and treats her like the royalty she is), but, well, how awkward and adorable and _utterly hyper_ could their child possibly wind up being?

Anna notices how her sister's frowning, how her face paled, how her face is now lined with fear and worry…and she knew that this was a bad idea, introducing this subject to her sister this quickly after the Great Thaw. It's only been three, four months, and they're having enough trouble getting closer together and helping Elsa feel _well_ without adding a baby into the mix of everything.

She starts to apologize before Elsa can say a word. "I'm sorry, Elsa, I shouldn't have brought it up right now, now isn't the best time, I just, I'm really excited, okay? I'm really excited, because a baby, I'm most likely pregnant, that's what the doctor said, and I thought you'd like being an aunt, and –"

"Anna, no, don't think like that." Elsa's grabs Anna's hands, tender, as warm as a Snow Queen can be. She smiles, a bit forced, but not too much. "I'm happy, really. I'm happy you and Kristoff are expecting; you'll be great parents."

Anna's smile makes everything worthwhile, despite Elsa's underlying worries.

* * *

There's a book that lies in the castle library. It claims to be a fiction book, depicting magic and legends of the kingdom, bound in thick leather, its pages creamy, yellow parchment.

Elsa goes to visit the book hours after her daily paperwork is done, and Kristoff and Anna are fast asleep. Olaf is off being Olaf with Sven, so she needn't worry about them intruding. She informed her primary guardsmen, Ulrik and Cai she needn't have anyone bother her while she's researching (what she's researching, she didn't say).

The book is heavy, large, wedged between a book informing of the trolls near the kingdom's boundaries, and another of wildlife nearby the borders. It's dark blue, wrinkled, old; its chronologies depict the prophecies that are now eerie in their predictions.

"_The Great Thaw would affect all of Arendelle; the Snow Queen, having been reunited and in her proper throne, would experience several months of prosperity within her borders before learning an heir would soon be born. However, the fear of the heir having powers akin to hers' would be too great; she would need to do only one thing to wholly quell that paranoia inside her._

"_And so, the Queen travelled to a faraway land, in order to find the elemental crystals that would ensure no powers would be born to another royal generation…"_

Elsa does wonder whether her parents actually read this book, but she thought better of it. Mama preferred the botany books nearby; Papa was too busy to read much, especially with the added burden of having a cursed daughter—

No. No, gifted. She was gifted.

But she didn't want her niece or nephew to be 'gifted' with similar powers. Not that she wouldn't love the child if he or she had powers to control ice, or fire, or plants, or whatever; of course she would, and she would ensure the child that they were loved by everyone.

But, well. Powers are powers, and there were still some woefully misunderstood people in the kingdom – and nearby kingdoms – that just wouldn't get that the powers didn't have to be seen as wholly evil or monstrous. And she didn't want the child to have to experience such complex reactions at such a young age.

Elsa doesn't even spend ten minutes inside the library before calling one of the younger guards in. Ulrik was the son of a guardsman who had cautiously protected her Papa years ago. Ulrik isn't the most imposing or the bravest of guardsmen, but he had travelled alongside his father for years before his apprenticing, and he knows many other royal kingdoms and queendoms and what was notable in them.

"Y-yes, my Queen?" Ulrik stammers upon entering the room. His guard's clothes are a size too large on him, Elsa notes; his face is red, and his eyes are wide and curious. He looks more like a sixteen-year-old on the first day of the job, rather than a twenty-three-year-old who has known the importance of the guards since he was born to Bernhard and Eva decades ago.

She gives him a warm, reassuring smile. "Do you happen to know what the elemental crystals are?"

She can almost see the swelling pride that bursts inside him. She's known Ulrik for years; she knows he loves being chosen for information about the whereabouts of something outside Arendelle.

"They're on the boundaries of Holoska and Abaddon. Abaddon is ruled by Queen Isabella the Second, and Holoska, well, I never even got to meet the Prince Hadyn, though he's a king now…he was always a shut-in, my Queen, unfortunately, much like you were before your coronation…But even after his coronation... Hadyn_ does_ allow visiting royals into his kingdom. Just don't expect him to be rambling on to you. The fire and earth crystals are more in Abaddon, and Holoska is where the water and air crystals are. Fire crystals are also near the trolls' land, my Queen, but they're considerably weaker than the ones in Abaddon."

Elsa gives him another smile, appreciating his information and his thoroughness. She was half-curious about the nearby fire crystals, after all; at least she knew of their potential, even if it was weaker than the ones in Holoska. "Ulrik, I want you and Cai to go and begin packing your things and preparing the boat. We're going to have to travel to Holoska and Abaddon soon."

"Why, my Queen? I apologize for being nosy, but, well, crystals are used for either weakening powers, rite of passages, or combining magic for greater potential. Are you planning on…?" Ulrik needn't finish his inquiry; Elsa knows what he's trying to say.

"No, Ulrik, I have no plans on weakening or gaining more powers," Elsa sighs, "I'll inform you of my intentions when we're on our way, alright? Now, go and do as I say. Queen's orders." She smirks a little, letting him know she's not being wholly bossy (for now).

Ulrik gives a shaky, crooked smile, then leaves, presumably to do as he's told. Elsa closes the book, having scribed the crucial information she read on a piece of parchment.

She certainly hopes that Anna won't be too opposing of her wishes. She'll feel horrible if Anna denies this. But it's just in case. It couldn't hurt. Right?

Regardless, Elsa doesn't sleep.


End file.
